


I Wanna Get Well

by HolleringHawk65



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-21
Packaged: 2018-12-04 21:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11563944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolleringHawk65/pseuds/HolleringHawk65
Summary: For some reason, Cullen develops a crush on Hawke, even though Hawke decided to take his anger about his mother's death out on him.Bethany might have picked up on those feelings and decided to help them out.





	I Wanna Get Well

**Author's Note:**

> Garrett is a mage but I don't like Carver that much and Bethany worked better for the story, so you have cool af mage siblings!!!

Cullen x Male Hawke

Out of the corner of his eye, Cullen saw Hawke and a few of his friends go over to speak with some of the shopkeepers. To think, an apostate felt like he could waltz around Templars without consequence!

_Well_ , he thought to himself, _he’s not exactly wrong_. He knew that, personally, he didn’t mind Hawke going around with no leash, so to speak, because Hawke was a champion for the people. _He_ wouldn’t do anything that would endanger good people. His companions, on the other, were a different story. But, if the Warden had been able to take down the Archdemon with their own ragtag team of people, Hawke could do anything.

Thinking about the hero of Ferelden made Cullen think about Hawke’s mage cousin, on the Amell side. She’d gone to Ostagar and, as far as Cullen knew, had perished there, either during the Joining or as a Grey Warden, he wasn’t sure. Perhaps that was for the best, though he was sure that she would have been overjoyed to hear about Hawke’s success in Kirkwall.

Hawke was suddenly in front of him. For a second, Cullen didn’t think he was going to say anything, but then: “You aren’t doing your job.” It was a snarl, so unlike the man Cullen had known up to this point. “You all preach about keeping people safe from blood mages, but there was one right under your nose, for _years_.” There was a silent ‘you disgust me’ that Cullen heard loud and clear.

“I’m sorry about your mother.” Hawke stiffened as soon as the words left Cullen’s mouth. “I found Bethany shortly after she found out and she told me.”

“Stay away from my sister.” His voice was a low growl. Cullen wasn’t going to argue with him; he knew loss, what it does to some people. “She’s not a replacement for my cousin.”

However, those words felt like a slap. It must have shown on his face, because even some of Hawke’s companions gasped.

“That’s enough Garrett,” Varric said, sounding completely like a father.

Hawke whipped around to look at the dwarf. “When will it ever be enough? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, Varric. I’m sure Cullen is the same old Templar I’ve heard that he was back in Ferelden. He’s _weak_.” And, with Cullen properly flustered and earning sympathetic looks from both Isabella and Fenris, since Varric was busy admonishing Hawke, _that_ is when Hawke decided it was time to leave.

A few minutes later, Cullen heard someone panting and a curse. He looked over to see that Bethany was there, hands on her knees. She looked up and smiled at him, walking over to Cullen in the next second. “I heard that my brother was here, but it looks like I took too long to get here. Oh well,that’s Garrett Hawke for you.” She laughed, before taking a moment to study him. “Are you okay? You look feverish.”

“I’m fine, it’s just, ah, warm in this armor.” _Nice one, Cullen, it’s the start of spring._ “in the sun, and such. Thank you for asking, Bethany.”

She studied him for a moment longer before sighing. “Men. I’ll never claim to understand you in the slightest.”

Cullen smiled weakly. “That might be for the best.”

She shrugged. “I should go set up for my next class. I’ll be seeing you, Cullen, and hopefully in the shade next time.”

\---

It was a few weeks later. There hadn’t been any sign of Hawke, but a few of his companions popped up now and then to sell things that appeared as though they came from Hawke’s excursions down to the Wounded Coast, or wherever it is that they get things like ripped pants. Cullen was equal parts relieved and nervous. While it was nice that he hadn’t needed to endure any more of Hawke, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Anders was vehemently anti-Templar, and it would not turn out well of Hawke converted fully to that ideology. Before their last encounter, Cullen had thought there was a sort of agreement between them; he could call Hawke in when things came to a head and he was no longer able to do anything, and he would make sure that Hawke wasn’t brought in to the Circle.

At that thought, he almost laughed. Hawke, in the Circle? They would need a whole city full of Templars to bring him in, probably, and even if they did manage to bring him in, he’d probably be out in the next breath; if he didn’t escape based on his own will, his companions would surely break him out within a fortnight.

He stopped himself for a moment. These thoughts, this kind of play up about a person, was all too familiar. And the feeling in his stomach at the thought of Hawke? He swallowed and wished that he had thought to bring out a canteen of water today, as he felt himself redden at the realization that had crossed his mind.

He had a crush on Garrett Hawke.

\---

He was heading to his quarters when a flustered Bethany Hawke all but ran into him.

“You’re exactly who I was looking for!” She was holding a letter in her hand and a few coins. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

They stood there in silence for a moment before Cullen realized she must have wanted a response before asking him. “Oh, go on. How can I help you?”

“It’s Garrett’s birthday today,” she explained, “and in past years, he and Mother, and sometimes our uncle, have always come for their birthdays, and mine, but Garrett didn’t come today, so I was hoping you could bring this letter to him. And I know that most of the shops are closed, but I was hoping that you could find something to give him. Everything has been so hectic with the children the past few days that I wasn’t able to try to buy anything.”

He hadn’t talked to Garrett since the Incident, as he referenced it, and he wasn’t sure that Bethany had seen Garrett since then either. _I wonder if, in his grief about their mother, he’s pushed Bethany away?_ “I can try. I just have to go change out of my armor.”

She flung herself at him, hugging him as best as she could with all of the armor in the way. “Thank you, Cullen. This means the world to me.”

\---

So that’s how he ended up in front of the Hawke-Amell estate, at night, holding a letter from Bethany and a gift boxed Mabari statue that one could place an elemental rune into, allegedly. It seemed like a dream, really. All he needed was a bouquet of flowers and it would sound like something that Varric would write in one of his books that often circled around the Gallows.

He knocked on the door and waited. Worse comes to worse and Hawke burns him alive. Nothing that Cullen hadn’t already imagined happening, if he was being honest.

“Coming!” Oh Maker’s breath, it sounded like Hawke himself was coming to the door. He had been hoping that one of Hawke’s servants would come to the door and he could just give the items to them.

He opened the door, a huge smile on his face that only disappeared in the next moment. “Oh.”

“Happy birthday!” Cullen said, trying his best to sound like he was happy that Hawke had made it to another milestone in life and not like he was going to throw up, or something.

Hawke looked flabbergasted. “How did _you_ know?”

He took a deep breath. “Now, before you get mad, Bethany came to me, in a hallway, and told me about the tradition that you all used to do, and asked me to deliver her letter and a gift to you. And, well, you know how she gets, I’m sure, it’s nearly impossible to say no to her.”

Well, he must have said the right thing because he wasn’t dead yet.

Hawke stepped back and that was when Cullen properly realized that he was _only wearing a robe_. “You came all this way, you might as well step in.”

“Okay.” As soon as he stepped in, he was greeted by Hawke’s mabari trotting up to him and nudging his side. Considering that he’d heard rumors of this very same mabari ripping out the throats of slavers, he took it as a good sign.

“I’m surprised that you’re not out celebrating with your friends.”

“They think my birthday is tomorrow,” he explained, smiling for a moment. “That way I always had a day for family and a day for them.”

Cullen wanted to say that he still _has_ a family; Bethany was alive and well, and she had wanted to spend today with him, but their circumstances prevented that. But it wasn’t his place to say, especially since this apparent peace between them had to be incredibly tenuous.

“Would you like something to eat? I only got home a few hours ago, so I haven’t had anything yet.”

“Working on your birthday? I thought the Champion of Kirkwall could determine his own schedule.”

He clearly hesitated before speaking. “One of my friends needed my help, urgently. I felt that it was more important to help them then to mope around the manor. Bethany will understand when I tell her.”

Cullen glanced around. He wouldn’t lie, it did seem a little big for just a handful of people and a mabari. But at the same time, he couldn’t imagine that any of Hawke’s companions would move in with him. He wondered if it would seem more alive with tiny children running amuck, all of them with Hawke’s dark hair and mischievous grin. Again, he couldn’t quite imagine it. He had heard that Leandra had wanted to marry a fellow noble, but nothing had seemed to come of that.

“Dinner is ready, Serrah,” Bodahn told Hawke. “Oh, you have a guest.” He stood there for a moment, seemingly squinting. “Oh! Knight Captain Cullen. My apologies-”

Cullen smiled and waved his hand. “Please, just Cullen is fine, I’m off duty.”

“Of course.”

Hawke led Cullen into his dining room, an unsurprisingly highly decorated area. He had to take it in for a moment before he realized that he was still holding Hawke’s presents. “Oh, before I forget,” he said as he extended his hands. Hawke nodded and took the items, setting them to the side of the table.

“Please, sit wherever you’d like,” Hawke said as he sat down. “I’m actually glad that my sister chose you to bring her letter.”

“You are?” Cullen all but squeaked as he sat down to Hawke’s left.

“I wanted to apologize for what happened.”

Cullen blinked. “Oh! The Incident. It’s fine, really, I can understand why you would say those things.”

Hawke sighed. “It still happened and I still hope you can, perhaps, put it behind you?”

“Only if you can,” Cullen said as he sipped at a glass of water. He realized, as soon as the words left, that he sounded almost like he was _flirting_. All he needed was to throw in a saucy wink or something and he really would be like one of the characters who fawn over Varric’s story version of Hawke. His cheeks reddened and the next sip of water turned into a gulp.

His host only smiled.

\---

After a nice dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables, Cullen was feeling sated in a way that he hadn’t in a long while. Mostly because the food the Templars got -- at least the good ones, the ones who didn’t take bribes -- was barely better than gruel. He eyed the goblet of white wine that Hawke had poured for him, but refrained from it. The meal had been decadent enough as it was. It had left a warm feeling coiled in his stomach, almost as good as being drunk.

“Thank you for sharing your birthday dinner with me,” he said softly as he shifted himself back into the chair, his back straight against the chair.

“My pleasure.” Hawke reached out for the box, turning it over, the statue hitting the sides of its velvet case. He unwrapped the packaging and opened the case, a smile spreading across his face. “A mabari. I’ve seen this in that one shop’s window…” He drifted off, clearly in thought. “Bethany couldn’t afford this.” He looked up, smirking. “Did you buy me a birthday gift, Knight-Captain?”

He felt his cheeks heat up again and he looked away. “I didn’t want to use the coins that Bethany gave me to buy your gift. It didn’t feel right.”

“Thank you.”

“You can also put a rune in it. And it’ll, you know, be on fire and what not, and as long as it’s in its case it can’t set anything else on fire, or what not.” He was blabbering. Oh Maker, he was blabbering to Hawke. He was sure that this is something that would come up at one of his group’s infamous nights at the Hanged Man; _oh yeah, that Knight-Captain is so easy to get talking. Just give him a good meal and he won’t be able to shut up!_

“I’ll definitely be putting this on the mantel in the study, where I can show it off to everyone.”

Despite the intimate, candle light room -- or maybe because of? -- Cullen was sure that Hawke knew he was blushing now. “Well, whatever you’d like to do with it. It’s yours now.”

Silence ensued for a few moments, Cullen fiddling with his silverware and, well, he wasn’t sure what Hawke was doing, mostly because he didn’t want to look over at him.

Hawke suddenly laughed. “I’m sorry.”

_Now_ Cullen looked at him. “Pardon?”

He waved Bethany’s letter. “I think that my sister has come to the conclusion that we’re a thing.”

He blinked. “A thing?”

“She heard about the incident that happened and assumed that it was a lover’s quarrel.”

“Oh.”

“She’s asked me to not be so harsh on you, since you’re, in her words ‘one of the good guys.’ Maybe I will.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not be so harsh on you. You’re a good person and,” he shrugged. “Maybe I could do better with your influence. Presence.”

He looked down at his plate. Was his food drugged? Surely, Hawke couldn’t actually be saying those words. The Maker wouldn’t be so kind as to actually present him with the opportunity to act on his crush. Or to give his crush a crush on him.

“Are you alright?”

“I just. Are you suggesting that we. We court each other?” It sounded dumb as soon as he said it. Hawke-

Hawke shrugged. “Why not? Stranger things have happened in Kirkwall.”

_Stranger than an apostate-cum-champion in a relationship with a Knight-Captain Templar? Not likely but maybe._ Maybe.

Well, he heard that the Hero of Ferelden was courting an Antivan Crow, so he guessed his position could be more awkward.

“Let’s do it.”

Hawke beamed into a smile before he leaned up and over, pressed a kiss to one of Cullen’s cheeks. “Thank you, Cullen.”

He pressed a kiss to Hawke’s left cheek. “I could thank you a thousand times over and it still wouldn’t feel like enough.” He straightened up. “But I should go. Meredith will have my head if I’m not there for her daily task assignment.”

He hummed as he got up, presumably to escort Cullen out. “We’ll figure all of this out, as slowly as we need to.”

“Dare I ask, does Garrett Hawke want to do something rather traditionally?”

“Maybe. Maybe doing something ‘rather traditionally’ will bring luck.”

“Maybe.” They were standing in front of the door now and Cullen didn’t quite know how to end the night.

Impulsively, he hugged him. Which, well, that had to be fine between two men who had just agreed to a courtship, yes? He didn’t quite consider how it would feel to hug Garrett while he was only in a robe, but it was already done.

“Happy birthday, Hawke.”

\---

_Bethany,_

_Thank you._

_-Garrett_


End file.
